The Late Student – Part 1 Results

The Late Student Part 1 – Results

On Tuesday I gave this prompt:

A student walks into the classroom late. The student walks down the aisle and sits in an empty seat. The professor stops the lecture for a moment to watch the student. The professor tries to continue the lecture, but he forgets what he was talking about and looks a bit frustrated and annoyed.

I wanted you to write a very short story in the first person from either the professor’s or the student’s viewpoint. For beginners, this exercise helps build some experience writing in the first-person, while for seasoned writers, it’s a chance to show off! Bizarre writing prompts are great, but it’s important to work with more mundane situations as well. When the situation is mundane, the writer is forced to paint in more emotions and detail to show how it matters to the main character – if it matters to your character, it will matter to the reader.

As usual, I give you my take

I don’t share my takes on these exercises because I think I’m an expert – heck, no, I know as well as anyone I need to improve a lot. I share them because some of my students have rarely or never written fiction, and I strive to get them writing regularly. I hope some readers of this blog appreciate the examples, and I always welcome feedback to make them better.

Anyway, here’s what I have for The Late Student, First Person POV:

I jumped out of the bus and ran up the hill. Not again, God he’s going to flunk me! I weave through clusters of students, brushing past elbows and handbags as I come to the door of the building. I run up the stairs, and I come to the classroom. I look in. Dr. Spencer’s really into the lecture, gesturing wildly and shouting so loud I could hear him halfway down the hall. Maybe I’ll get lucky.

I open the door slowly, and Dr. Spencer still doesn’t turn. My heart races as I step in and close the door behind me. I look to the third row, and spot Erika next to an empty seat. I’ve totally got this. I creep toward the seat, quiet as a ninja. I pass the linebacker – he told me his name, but my brain’s not registering it now. He smiles widely, and his wink says I know how you feel bro. I narrowly avoid bumping into his muscled arm as I pass through the aisle between desks.

Erika sweeps back her red-dyed hair and smiles slightly when I sit next to her. She winks at me, and butterflies fill my stomach. Without missing a beat, she picks up the handout she’s got on her desk, revealing a second copy underneath. She hands me the extra copy, and I whisper, “You are a lifesaver!”

“How nice of you to join us, Daniel!” Dr. Spencer’s voice booms. My heart drops through the floor as everyone turns to look at me. I do my best Han Solo sheepish grin, and hear some stifled laughs from the room. Dr. Spencer, of course, is hardly amused. He glares into my eyes, and my stomach churns as I realize he’s waiting for me to say something in my defense.

“My, uh, bus was late,” I say, “Won’t happen again.” Some students start to laugh, but Dr. Spencer’s glare cuts them off. He then says those fateful words, the ones no student ever wants to hear.

“I’ll see you after class.”

Have fun with the prompt, and next week we’ll try a different take on it.